Fried Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Chickpea Noodles
This delicious pasta dish is my favorite comfort food meal. Ready in about 30 minutes, this easy recipe is a great way to get rid of any extra pasta from a previous meal.
The sauce is made with ground beef and tomato sauce, mixed with ricotta cheese to make it rich and creamy. We add high protein noodles and a handful of mozzarella before baking in the oven. The top layer of the cheesy fried spaghetti is crispy and crunchy, while the inside is filled with soft, flavorful pasta.
For a richer version of this spaghetti dish, try it with tomato garlic cottage cheese pasta sauce. It’s made with cottage cheese and has more of a tomato alfredo feel.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 29 grams of protein per serving.
- Simple ingredients.
- Great way to use pasta leftovers.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for Fried Spaghetti.
- Lean Ground Beef: I used 96/4 ground beef. Use any percent beef or substitute with ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey. You can also use shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Fresh Garlic
- Yellow Onion
- Pasta Sauce: I used Rao’s Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce. You can substitute with your favorite.
- Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
- Banza Chickpea Spaghetti Noodles: all types of pasta noodles work and sometimes make it with bow tie. This is one of my favorite meals to make with leftover spaghetti from the night before; it makes it so fast and easy.
- Mozzarella Cheese: I buy pre shredded but you can absolutely use fresh mozzarella and shred yourself. You can also try this with cheddar cheese.
Variations
- Add red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Add fresh basil for a pop of color and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for added flavor.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is gluten-free as long as you’re using the chickpea noodles.
- For dairy-free, omit the ricotta cheese or add a non-dairy alternative.
How to make this spaghetti:
Step 1: preheat and cook noodles
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Keep in mind, chickpea pasta boils in a little less time than regular spaghetti.
Step 2: brown meat and add sauce
In a cast-iron skillet or oven-safe large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces and cook through until no longer pink.
Add the jar of marinara sauce, seasonings, and chopped parsley to the meat sauce. Mix together well to combine.
Step 3: add cheese
Add the ricotta cheese to the meat sauce and stir to combine and melt.
After the noodles have cooked, drain them and add to the beef sauce. Using a fork mix the noodles into the sauce to evenly cover the pan. Add mozzarella cheese on top of the spaghetti.
Step 4: bake
Transfer the large pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the tops of the noodles begin to brown.
Expert Tip!
Any type of pasta works for this recipe. Use leftover spaghetti from the night before to make this even easier. If it dries out overnight, add little olive oil or a little water to loosen it up.
Recipe FAQs
Store your leftover spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When you eat it the next day it’ll lose some of the crispiness, so I suggest heating your leftover pasta in the oven to bring it back to that original crisp.
This fried spaghetti is a perfect example of a standalone meal because it’s so hearty. If you feel like you’re missing out on some veggies, serve with a green side salad, or roasted vegetables, or for an official Italian feast, bake some garlic bread.
Check out some of our other easy recipes!
- Cracked Out Tater Tot Casserole
- Big Mac Casserole
- Black Bean Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
Fried Spaghetti
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Ingredients
- 1 lbs. lean ground beef 96/4
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 24 oz. Rao's Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce
- 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 8 oz. Banza Chickpea Spaghetti Noodles full box
- 1 cup low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese shredded (112g)
Toppings
- fresh chopped parsley
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
- In a cast iron skillet or oven safe pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces and cook through until no longer pink.
- Add the jar of sauce, seasonings, and chopped parsley to the meat sauce. Mix together well to combine.
- Add the ricotta cheese to the meat sauce and stir to combine and melt.
- After the noodles have cooked, drain them and add to the beef sauce. Using a fork mix the noodles into the sauce to even cover the pan. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the tops of the noodles begin to brown.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are an estimate.
- Use any type of ground meat.
- Chickpea noodles add protein but you can use any noodle.
This is so delicious!!! I’ve made it so many times. My husband and I love it!!
Can never go wrong with spaghetti, right?
Subbed turkey for beef and it turned out incredible!!
How much is a serving size?
It’s listed first in the nutrition facts of the recipe card.
would this work for a freezer mealprep / would it thaw and reheat well?
Are the directions the same if I use regular spaghetti?
Yes!
How many servings does this prepare?
6 servings! You can find it at the top of the recipe card.
The balance of protein, carbs, and fats was spot on, making it a great macro friendly meal and sooooo delicious. This recipe is a permanent spot in my meal rotation!
This SO delicious! It was also really easy to make. 5 stars from me and my husband.
My whole family loved this and it was so easy to put together! Another bomb recipe from Danielle. 🙂
Is it good to use as a meal prep or for leftovers? 🙂
Definitely!
This was super easy to make and delicious!!
So easy and flavorful and the bonus was I had all of the ingredients on hand. This came together in less than 30 minutes and my four picky eaters all enjoyed it! Would be great on a busy weeknight.
Definitely a new family favorite dinner!!!